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The sauce is derived from de Genoese pesto, which is traditionawwy made of garwic, basiw, pine nuts, grated Sardinian Pecorino, and owive oiw, crushed and mixed togeder wif a mortar and pestwe. The key difference between pistou and pesto is de absence of pine nuts in pistou.[2][3]

Pistou is a typicaw condiment from de Provence region of France most often associated wif de Provençaw dish soupe au pistou, which resembwes minestrone and may incwude white beans, green beans, tomatoes, summer sqwash, potatoes, and pasta. The pistou is incorporated into de soup just before serving.[4]

Gruyère cheese is used in Nice.[2] Some regions substitute Parmesan Cheese. In Liguria, Pecorino, a hard sheep's miwk cheese from Sardinia or Corsica is used. Whatever cheese is used, it is preferred dat it not be a "stringy" cheese, so dat when it mewts in a hot wiqwid (wike in de pistou soup, for instance), it does not mewt into wong strands.

^Root, Waverwey (1992) [Originawwy pubwished 1958]. The Food of France. New York: Vintage Books. pp. 369–370. ISBN0-679-73897-5. The soup in which de pistou is pwaced, giving it its fwavor and its name, is a form of minestrone. One Nice recipe gives de vegetabwes dat go into it as white beans, tomatoes, and summer sqwash. Anoder names string beans, potatoes, tomatoes, and vermicewwi [Into de soup] you put de pistou ... at de very wast moment.